Artisans – makers of utilitarian art
Most of the needs of traditional Senufo society could be satisfied through the
craftsmanship of the people. The ability to make utensils for household, for work, and for enjoyment was an important part of a person’s knowledge, and was part of the first tasks of initiation.
Special artisans following family traditions provided for more complex things such as musical instruments or the 
crafts of blacksmithing and pottery making. The blacksmiths, or fonombélé, are a special group apart from the main group of villagers.
Fonombélé men work forges, making hoes, shovels, axes, bicycle racks, and other metal tools. They also carve the wooden handles for the tools, as well as stools, large mortars for pounding food, and a variety of other utensils. Some cast bronze and aluminum into bracelets and anklets.
Fonombélé women are the village potters. They produce round-bottomed posts for
cooking as well as smaller pots to hold sauces.
A second special group within Senufo society, called the Koulie , are the sculptors of religious icons. They mainly carve the masks, statues, oracles, drums, and decorative doors and panels. They have knowledge, passed to them from elders, of the sacred symbols, ceremonies, and stories that they capture in their work connecting with the significance of their spiritual life.
The village weavers and tailors of the traditional rural clothing are a blend of the Dyula and Senufo cultures. They spin, dye, and weave of cloth and make clothing using skills of both cultures and traditions. The Dyulas are mostly Muslims, but their looms include pulleys carved in Senufo motifs. Their designs are typically Senufo.
In Senufo culture people value decorative additions to beautify and express their identity. Subtle embellishments, symmetrical designs and simple symbolism add beauty to whatever work they do.
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Next: The Music of Place
The first time I realized that each place has a different music, I was sitting in my house in Sirasso, a traditional agrarian village in the northern Ivory Coast. (Read More >>)